Abbot keen to hear Caloundra South 'justification'

The controversial Caloundra South development will be debated for two hours in State Parliament tonight.

Sunshine Coast independent MP Peter Wellington tabled a motion last month to force the Queensland Government to publicly explain its reasons for taking planning control for the development from council.

More than 50,000 people are expected to live at Caloundra South when the development is complete and Mayor Bob Abbot says he is keen to hear the Government's explanation.

"I'm very pleased that Peter's taken that up because it is a very strong challenge to local government in Queensland in general, not only to us," he said.

"I don't think there's any justification for what they've done. Council was in the planning mode, it was basically prepared to finish it and indeed our proposal would have finished it before ULDA [Urban Land Development Authority] did."